GO Transit fares to be hiked Feb. 1

GO Transit is hiking its fares about 5 per cent on Feb. 1 – about 31 cents per ride on average – with riders who travel the farthest paying the most.

The cost of tickets relative to the price of fares for Presto users will also rise as Metrolinx, the provincial agency that runs GO, tries to convert more riders to the electronic card system.

Under the new prices, commuters who now pay $7.35 on a trip will see a 55-cent increase per trip. Those who pay between $5.81 and $7.35 will experience a 45-cent increase and riders with trips costing between $4.50 and $5.80 will pay 35 cents more.

The same increases will apply to paper tickets but those riders won’t be eligible for the Presto card discounts. That means a rider who travels from Union Station to Oakville will pay $7.30 for a single adult paper ticket but only $6.66, at the lowest available Presto discount level.

Presto discounts have been increased to 8.75 per cent from 7.5 per cent on the first 35 rides; to 87.76 from 87.5 per cent for those who take 36 to 40 rides a month and, after 41 rides, Presto users ride free.

“The fare increase is expected to allow GO Transit to continue to grow its ridership in 2013/14 and continue to achieve its on-time performance of 95 per cent,” says a report expected to be approved by the Metrolinx board of directors on Wednesday.

Fare increases have not kept pace with GO business costs such a diesel and hydro, says the report by chief financial officer Robert Siddall.

The fare-by-distance approach was implemented last year. “It recognizes that a number of GO’s key cost drivers, such as diesel fuel, are variable by distance travelled,” says the report.

GO recovers about 80 per cent of its operating revenues through fares. The increase is expected to raise $20.2 million in operating revenue.

GO raised fares on Feb. 18 of this year by about 30 to 40 cents per ride.

On Nov. 15 it implemented a guarantee for trains that are 15 minutes or more late.

The increase is supposed to help pay for more parking, more 12-car trains and more bus and train trips in 2013.

The number of trips on GO is expected to rise to about 65 million next year from 61 million in 2011, according to spokesperson Malon Edwards.

GO Transit fares to be hiked Feb. 1

NewsDec 03, 2012Waterloo Region Record

GO Transit is hiking its fares about 5 per cent on Feb. 1 – about 31 cents per ride on average – with riders who travel the farthest paying the most.

The cost of tickets relative to the price of fares for Presto users will also rise as Metrolinx, the provincial agency that runs GO, tries to convert more riders to the electronic card system.

Under the new prices, commuters who now pay $7.35 on a trip will see a 55-cent increase per trip. Those who pay between $5.81 and $7.35 will experience a 45-cent increase and riders with trips costing between $4.50 and $5.80 will pay 35 cents more.

The same increases will apply to paper tickets but those riders won’t be eligible for the Presto card discounts. That means a rider who travels from Union Station to Oakville will pay $7.30 for a single adult paper ticket but only $6.66, at the lowest available Presto discount level.

Presto discounts have been increased to 8.75 per cent from 7.5 per cent on the first 35 rides; to 87.76 from 87.5 per cent for those who take 36 to 40 rides a month and, after 41 rides, Presto users ride free.

“The fare increase is expected to allow GO Transit to continue to grow its ridership in 2013/14 and continue to achieve its on-time performance of 95 per cent,” says a report expected to be approved by the Metrolinx board of directors on Wednesday.

Fare increases have not kept pace with GO business costs such a diesel and hydro, says the report by chief financial officer Robert Siddall.

The fare-by-distance approach was implemented last year. “It recognizes that a number of GO’s key cost drivers, such as diesel fuel, are variable by distance travelled,” says the report.

GO recovers about 80 per cent of its operating revenues through fares. The increase is expected to raise $20.2 million in operating revenue.

GO raised fares on Feb. 18 of this year by about 30 to 40 cents per ride.

On Nov. 15 it implemented a guarantee for trains that are 15 minutes or more late.

The increase is supposed to help pay for more parking, more 12-car trains and more bus and train trips in 2013.

The number of trips on GO is expected to rise to about 65 million next year from 61 million in 2011, according to spokesperson Malon Edwards.

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GO Transit fares to be hiked Feb. 1

NewsDec 03, 2012Waterloo Region Record

GO Transit is hiking its fares about 5 per cent on Feb. 1 – about 31 cents per ride on average – with riders who travel the farthest paying the most.

The cost of tickets relative to the price of fares for Presto users will also rise as Metrolinx, the provincial agency that runs GO, tries to convert more riders to the electronic card system.

Under the new prices, commuters who now pay $7.35 on a trip will see a 55-cent increase per trip. Those who pay between $5.81 and $7.35 will experience a 45-cent increase and riders with trips costing between $4.50 and $5.80 will pay 35 cents more.

The same increases will apply to paper tickets but those riders won’t be eligible for the Presto card discounts. That means a rider who travels from Union Station to Oakville will pay $7.30 for a single adult paper ticket but only $6.66, at the lowest available Presto discount level.

Presto discounts have been increased to 8.75 per cent from 7.5 per cent on the first 35 rides; to 87.76 from 87.5 per cent for those who take 36 to 40 rides a month and, after 41 rides, Presto users ride free.

“The fare increase is expected to allow GO Transit to continue to grow its ridership in 2013/14 and continue to achieve its on-time performance of 95 per cent,” says a report expected to be approved by the Metrolinx board of directors on Wednesday.

Fare increases have not kept pace with GO business costs such a diesel and hydro, says the report by chief financial officer Robert Siddall.

The fare-by-distance approach was implemented last year. “It recognizes that a number of GO’s key cost drivers, such as diesel fuel, are variable by distance travelled,” says the report.

GO recovers about 80 per cent of its operating revenues through fares. The increase is expected to raise $20.2 million in operating revenue.

GO raised fares on Feb. 18 of this year by about 30 to 40 cents per ride.

On Nov. 15 it implemented a guarantee for trains that are 15 minutes or more late.

The increase is supposed to help pay for more parking, more 12-car trains and more bus and train trips in 2013.

The number of trips on GO is expected to rise to about 65 million next year from 61 million in 2011, according to spokesperson Malon Edwards.